Ornament
1602
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
1602
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Ornament is a 1602 ink by Mathias Beutler, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This engraving shows three small scenes stacked vertically. The top picture has a boy feeding birds from a basket while a cat watches nearby. The middle scene shows a man leading two oxen pulling a wooden cart. The bottom picture depicts a woman lying on the ground, holding a rake and looking up. The artist used fine lines and shading to create depth and texture. Notice how the trees and plants look simple but still feel alive. Try looking up engraving to see how artists like this one made detailed prints.
